Intraoral scanning method, computing device, and computer program product

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an intraoral scanning method, a computing device, and a computer program product. The method comprises: acquiring intraoral scanning data by scanning an oral cavity provided with a scanning rod, wherein the scanning rod is fixed to an implant or an abutment and occludes a partial region of the dental arch; determining dental arch data and scanning rod data from among the intraoral scanning data by means of automatic identification; on the basis of the quality level of the dental arch data, determining whether scanning without the scanning rod in the oral cavity needs to be performed; and in response to determining that the scanning without the scanning rod in the oral cavity does not need to be performed, determining overall spatial information of the oral cavity on the basis of the dental arch data and the scanning rod data. In embodiments of the present disclosure, by merging the existing two scans into a single scan, overall spatial information of an oral cavity can be acquired simply from scanning data involving a scanning rod.

Description

Oral scanning methods, computing devices and computer program products

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411906486.5, filed on December 20, 2024, entitled "Oral Scanning Method, Computing Device and Computer Program Product", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] Oral scanning refers to the process of digitally acquiring detailed three-dimensional (3D) images of the oral cavity's internal structures (including teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues) using specialized optical technology. During an intraoral scan, dental professionals use a handheld device equipped with a camera and sensors (an intraoral scanner) to capture multiple images of the oral cavity from different angles. These images are transmitted to a computer workstation, where sophisticated algorithms rapidly stitch them together to generate a three-dimensional image of the patient's teeth and soft tissues.

[0004] In dental implant technology, the scanning probe is a crucial auxiliary tool. It is a small component, usually with a specific shape and structure, typically mounted on the implant or abutment. Its main function is to help the intraoral scanner accurately acquire three-dimensional positional information of the implant or abutment and surrounding tissues. Current scanning procedures usually require two scans: one performed with the probe in the mouth to acquire its positional information, and another performed after the probe is removed to acquire dental arch data. The two scans are then combined to obtain the oral cavity data. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of this disclosure provide an oral cavity scanning method, a computing device for implementing the method, and a computer program product. The technical solution of this disclosure combines two existing scans into a single scan, requiring only the data from the scanning probe to obtain overall spatial information of the oral cavity.

[0006] According to the implementation of this disclosure, an oral cavity scanning method is proposed. The method includes: acquiring oral cavity scanning data by scanning an oral cavity equipped with a scanning rod, wherein the scanning rod is fixed to an implant or abutment and obscures a portion of the dental arch; identifying dental arch data and scanning rod data in the oral cavity scanning data through automated recognition; determining whether a scanning without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is necessary based on the quality level of the dental arch data; and determining overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the dental arch data and the scanning rod data in response to determining that a scanning without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is not necessary.

[0007] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a computing device is provided, comprising: a processing unit; and a memory coupled to the processing unit and containing instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, causing the device to perform the following actions: acquiring oral cavity scan data by scanning an oral cavity with a scanning rod fixed to an implant or abutment and obscuring a portion of the dental arch; identifying dental arch data and scanning rod data in the oral cavity scan data through automated identification; determining, based on the quality level of the dental arch data, whether a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is required; and, in response to determining that a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is not required, determining overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the dental arch data and the scanning rod data.

[0008] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, which is tangibly stored in a computer storage medium and includes computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the following actions: acquiring oral cavity scan data by scanning an oral cavity with a scanning rod fixed to an implant or abutment and obscuring a portion of the dental arch; identifying dental arch data and scanning rod data in the oral cavity scan data through automated identification; determining, based on the quality level of the dental arch data, whether a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is required; and, in response to determining that a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is not required, determining overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the dental arch data and the scanning rod data.

[0009] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, an oral cavity scanning device is provided. The device includes: a scan data acquisition unit configured to acquire oral cavity scan data by scanning an oral cavity with a scanning rod mounted thereon, the scanning rod being fixed to an implant or abutment and obscuring a portion of the dental arch; a scan data recognition unit configured to automatically identify dental arch data and scanning rod data within the oral cavity scan data; a dental arch quality determination unit configured to determine, based on the quality level of the dental arch data, whether a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is necessary; and an oral cavity data determination unit configured to, in response to determining that a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is not necessary, determine overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the dental arch data and the scanning rod data.

[0010] The summary section is provided to present the chosen concepts in a simplified form, which will be further described in the detailed description below. The summary section is not intended to identify key or principal features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary environment in which various embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented;

[0012] Figures 2A to 2C show examples of images acquired using existing scanning procedures;

[0013] Figure 3 shows a schematic flowchart of an oral scanning method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a scanning rod according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figures 5A to 5C show examples of images obtained by an oral cavity scanning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 6 shows a schematic block diagram of an oral scanning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 7 shows a block diagram of a computing device capable of implementing some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] In these accompanying figures, the same or similar reference symbols are used to indicate the same or similar elements. The figures are for illustrative purposes only, and the sizes of the elements are not necessarily drawn to scale. Detailed Implementation

[0019] This disclosure will now be discussed with reference to several example implementations. It should be understood that these implementations are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and thus implement this disclosure, and not to imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure.

[0020] As used herein, the term "comprising" and its variations are to be interpreted as open-ended terms meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" is to be interpreted as "at least partially based on". The terms "an implementation" and "an implementation" are to be interpreted as "at least one implementation". The term "another implementation" is to be interpreted as "at least one other implementation". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0021] Implant scanning typically requires the use of scanning rods. An intraoral or extraoral scanner is used to accurately position multiple scanning rods relative to each other and to their position relative to the dental arch. When using an intraoral scanner, the process usually begins by acquiring 3D data of the dental arch exposed above the cuff. A copy of the scanned 3D data is then made, and the cuff data is removed, leaving only the dental arch data. Next, the scanning rods are attached to the cuff, and 3D data of the dental arch with the scanning rods attached is acquired again, based on the copied and removed cuff data, thus obtaining overall spatial information of the oral cavity. This process requires two scans, which is quite cumbersome. Furthermore, during the interval between the two scans, changes may occur in the free gingiva, causing stratification and leading to inaccurate final oral data.

[0022] In view of this, a simplified scanning process is proposed, requiring only one scan of the oral cavity with the scanning rod. Automated identification separates the scanning rod and dental arch, and post-processing generates dental arch data and scanning rod data respectively, thereby obtaining complete oral cavity data. This method simplifies the scanning process, shortens scanning time, and avoids stratification caused by changes in the free gingiva during the interval between two scans. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 7.

[0023] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary environment in which various embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. The exemplary environment illustrates an intraoral scanning system 100, which includes an intraoral scanner 110 coupled together with a computing device 120 (e.g., a laptop computer, desktop computer, etc.). A communication link between the intraoral scanner 110 and the computing device 120 allows captured images to be transferred from the intraoral scanner 110 to the computing device 120 for further processing. The communication link between the intraoral scanner 110 and the computing device 120 can be a wired connection (e.g., Universal Serial Bus USB) or a wireless connection (e.g., Wi-Fi). It should be understood that other communication implementations are also possible.

[0024] The intraoral scanner 110 can be a handheld device that a user (dentist or related professional) can insert into a patient's mouth to capture images. As shown, the intraoral scanner 110 includes a tip 101 and a body 102. The tip 101 can be a pluggable component or integrated integrally with the intraoral scanner 110. A camera or optical system is located at the top of the tip 101 for capturing images of teeth and surrounding tissues (such as gums). During the scan, the intraoral scanner 110 acquires detailed information about intraoral entities, such as the scanning bar, teeth, gums, and surrounding soft tissues, converting the morphology of the oral cavity into digital image data.

[0025] The computing device 120 is the data processing and computing center of the intraoral scanning system 100. It receives image data transmitted from the intraoral scanner 110 and processes this data using its computing power. The computing device 120 uses specific algorithms to stitch and fit numerous discrete image data points to construct oral cavity scan data. The oral cavity scan data can be displayed on the display screen 115 for users to view and operate. The computing device 120 can also have data analysis capabilities, such as automatically identifying the classification of data in the oral cavity scan data (e.g., dental arch, teeth, scanning rod, or other components), thereby achieving image segmentation.

[0026] In some embodiments, the computing device 120 may use a machine learning-based deep neural network to perform image segmentation. Generally, machine learning can include three phases: a training phase, a testing phase, and a usage phase (also known as an inference phase). In the training phase, a given model is trained using a large amount of training data, iteratively updating parameter values ​​until the model can consistently obtain inferences from the training data that meet the expected goals. Through training, the model can be considered to have learned the association between inputs and outputs (also known as an input-output mapping) from the training data. The parameter values ​​of the trained model are determined. In the testing phase, test inputs are applied to the trained model to test whether the model can provide the correct output, thereby determining the model's performance. In the usage phase, the model can be used to process actual inputs based on the trained parameter values ​​to determine the corresponding output.

[0027] Figures 2A to 2C show examples of images acquired using existing scanning procedures. These procedures involve two scans: one with the scanning bar not in the oral cavity and the other with the scanning bar installed.

[0028] Without installing the scanning rod, scanning the inside of the cuff yields the image shown in Figure 2A, which illustrates the cuff 21 within which an implant or abutment is installed. Based on the image shown in Figure 2A, the user can mark the cuff area (including the implant or abutment) 22 on the software, as shown in Figure 2B.

[0029] Then, as shown in Figure 2C, a scanning rod 23 is installed inside the patient's mouth and fixed to the implant or abutment. The mouth with the scanning rod is scanned again to obtain oral scan data. Due to the presence of the scanning rod, some parts of the dental arch are obstructed and cannot be scanned. For example, the contact surface between the implant or abutment and the scanning rod cannot be scanned, and in some cases, the light from the intraoral scanner is blocked by the scanning rod, resulting in scanning blind spots.

[0030] The current cumbersome two-step scanning workflow aims to acquire one set of dental arch data with cuffs and another set with the scanning rod. Embodiments of this disclosure provide a simplified scanning process that, through a single scan of the oral cavity with the scanning rod installed, combined with software algorithms, acquires both dental arch data and scanning rod data, thus obtaining overall spatial information of the oral cavity.

[0031] Figure 3 shows a schematic flowchart of an oral scanning method 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 300 can be implemented by, for example, the computing device 120 shown in Figure 1. It should be understood that method 300 may also include additional actions not shown and / or actions shown may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0032] In frame 310, oral cavity scan data is acquired by scanning the oral cavity with a scanning rod installed, wherein the scanning rod is fixed to the implant or abutment and obscures a portion of the dental arch. In this document, the term "dental arch" refers to the gingiva, teeth, and other tissues within the oral cavity, as well as the installed implant or abutment.

[0033] In some embodiments, to minimize the area of ​​the dental arch obscured by the scanning bar, a tapered scanning bar is preferably used, with its smaller end fixed to the implant or abutment. Figure 4 illustrates the structure of an exemplary scanning bar. As shown, the scanning bar is fixed to the implant or abutment via contact surface 401. Due to the tapered structure, the dimension of the end of the scanning bar closer to the implant or abutment is smaller than that of the end farther from the implant or abutment.

[0034] In box 320, dental arch data and scan bar data in the oral scan data are determined through automated identification. In some embodiments, to determine dental arch data and scan bar data, data representing dental arches and data representing scan bars in the oral scan data are automatically identified, and then the data representing dental arches and data representing scan bars are separated as dental arch data and scan bar data, respectively.

[0035] Traditionally, separating dental arch data from scan rod data requires a manual, human-computer interaction process involving specifying ranges. To simplify the process and improve user efficiency, automated identification can be achieved using deep neural networks. Deep neural networks can be trained to identify point cloud categories in 3D data, determining whether they belong to a scan rod or a dental arch. Then, the dental arch data and scan rod data are separated based on the results of this automated identification.

[0036] In some embodiments, a deep neural network can be trained using the following method. First, point cloud data of the oral cavity, including the scanning rod, is collected. The point cloud data has labeled category information. The point cloud data may include 3D point coordinate information, normal vector information, color information, etc. The point clouds are then manually labeled, assigning unique labels to different types of point clouds, such as 0 for the dental arch and 1 for the scanning rod.

[0037] Next, the 3D point cloud data is normalized and augmented. Data normalization can include, but is not limited to, methods such as min-max normalization and mean normalization to standardize information such as coordinates and normal vectors of the point cloud, aiming to eliminate the impact of dimensional differences between data on the network. Data augmentation is used to augment the collected point cloud data to expand the data volume. For example, one or more rotation matrices can be created to give the dental arch and scanning rod various different orientations to enhance the robustness of the network.

[0038] Then, using the normalized and enhanced 3D point cloud data as training data, a deep neural network is trained to obtain the trained deep neural network. A classification-related deep neural network (including but not limited to dynamic graph convolutional networks) is used for classification training based on the training data. The input of the deep neural network is the enhanced point cloud data mentioned above, and the output label is the label for each point cloud. After the deep network model converges, the final network used for the classification task is determined.

[0039] In box 330, based on the quality level of the dental arch data, it is determined whether a barn-less intraoral scan is necessary. The quality level of the dental arch data determines whether an additional oral scan is required to obtain the dental arch data.

[0040] As mentioned above, when using a tapered scanning rod, the area of ​​the dental arch obscured by the rod is small, resulting in high-quality dental arch data that typically does not require a second scan. It is understandable that the quality level can also be determined by assessing the completeness of the dental arch data. For example, if the image of the crowns or gingiva near the scanning rod is complete, the quality of the dental arch data can be determined to be good, and a rodless intraoral scan is unnecessary. In some embodiments, the dental arch data can be evaluated using a trained network, and if the score exceeds a certain threshold, a second scan can be determined not to be required. Alternatively, or alternatively, the need for a second scan can also be determined through manual observation.

[0041] To obtain better dental arch data, software can be used to generate partial dental arch data to fill in the areas of the dental arch obscured by the scanning probe. The generated dental arch data can be fused with the scanned dental arch data to form complete dental arch data. In this paper, the scanned dental arch data is referred to as the first dental arch data, and the software-generated dental arch data is referred to as the second dental arch data. The second dental arch data includes at least data on the obscured dental arch area (e.g., the contact surface between the bottom of the scanning probe and the implant or abutment).

[0042] To achieve fitting at the bottom of the scanning rod, standard 3D model data of the scanning rod and 3D model data of the implant or abutment fixed to the scanning rod are first acquired. The standard 3D model data of the scanning rod and the 3D model data of the implant or abutment are loaded in the same coordinate system and are in a fixed state. Then, the identified scanning rod data (point cloud or the resulting mesh) is matched with the standard 3D model of the scanning rod to obtain a transformation matrix between the scanned scanning rod data and the scanned standard 3D model. The transformation matrix is ​​used to transform the 3D data of the top region of the standard implant or abutment 3D model to the coordinate system of the scanning rod, i.e., the coordinate system of the dental arch. Finally, the top region of the standard implant or abutment 3D model is used as fitting data and stitched onto the dental arch.

[0043] In box 340, in response to determining that a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is not required, overall spatial information of the oral cavity is determined based on dental arch data and scanning rod data. In some embodiments, if the bottom of the scanning rod has been fitted, the generated fitted data, dental arch data, and scan data can be fused to obtain overall spatial information of the oral cavity.

[0044] Figures 5A to 5C illustrate examples of images obtained by an oral cavity scanning method according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5A shows scan data of an oral cavity with a scanning rod installed, including a dental arch 51 and a scanning rod 52, used to locate the positional information of the scanning rod relative to the dental arch. Figure 5B shows an image obtained by removing the scanning rod data from the image of Figure 5A, used to assist in the generation of crown morphology for dental implants on the dental arch. Figure 5C shows complete dental arch data obtained by stitching the fitted data to the dental arch data obtained from the scan shown in Figure 5B.

[0045] In a conventional workflow, two relatively independent scans are required to obtain two sets of scan data, as shown in Figure 5A and Figure 5C. According to the embodiments of this disclosure, only one scan, as shown in Figure 5A (scanning data when the scanning rod is secured to the dental arch), is needed. Simultaneously, the algorithm processes the scan, identifies the position and range of the scanning rod, removes it, and obtains the scan data shown in Figure 5B. Then, based on the location of the removed scanning rod, the thread model at its bottom is pieced together to complete the data, resulting in the pure dental arch data shown in Figure 5C. This method achieves a simplified scanning process, shortens the scanning time compared to existing technologies, and avoids changes in the free gingiva during the interval between two scans that could cause stratification.

[0046] Figure 6 shows a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 600 for oral scanning according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 600 can be implemented at the computing device 120 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 6, the apparatus 600 includes a scan data acquisition unit 610, a scan data recognition unit 620, a dental arch quality determination unit 730, and an oral data determination unit 640.

[0047] The scanning data acquisition unit 610 is configured to acquire oral cavity scanning data by scanning an oral cavity with a scanning rod fixed to an implant or abutment and obscuring a portion of the dental arch. The scanning data recognition unit 620 is configured to automatically identify dental arch data and scanning rod data within the oral cavity scanning data. The dental arch quality determination unit 730 is configured to determine, based on the quality level of the dental arch data, whether a scan without a scanning rod is necessary. The oral cavity data determination unit 640 is configured to, in response to the determination that a scan without a scanning rod is unnecessary, determine overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the dental arch data and the scanning rod data.

[0048] In some embodiments, the scanning bar has a tapered structure, with the dimension of the end of the scanning bar closer to the implant or abutment being smaller than that of the end farther from the implant or abutment.

[0049] In some embodiments, the scan data recognition unit 620 may be configured to recognize dental arch data and scan bar data in oral scan data by using a trained deep neural network.

[0050] In some embodiments, the trained deep neural network is obtained by: collecting three-dimensional point cloud data of the oral cavity including the scanning rod, the three-dimensional point cloud data having labeled category information indicating the classification of the point cloud in the three-dimensional point cloud data, the classification including the scanning rod or dental arch; normalizing and enhancing the three-dimensional point cloud data; and using the normalized and enhanced three-dimensional point cloud data to train the deep neural network to obtain the trained deep neural network.

[0051] In some embodiments, the scan data recognition unit 620 may be configured to: recognize data representing the dental arch and data representing the scanning rod in oral scan data; and determine the dental arch data and the scanning rod data by separating the data representing the dental arch and the data representing the scanning rod.

[0052] In some embodiments, the device 600 further includes a data generation unit configured to generate second dental arch data, the second dental arch data including data of the occluded partial area. The oral cavity data determination unit 640 can be configured to determine overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the first dental arch data, the second dental arch data, and the scanning rod data.

[0053] In some embodiments, the data generation unit may also be configured to: determine fitting data for a portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod based on the shape of the scanning rod; and stitch the fitting data to the dental arch to generate second dental arch data.

[0054] In some embodiments, the data generation unit may also be configured to: acquire a standard three-dimensional model of the scanning rod and a standard three-dimensional model of the implant or abutment; determine the conversion relationship between the standard three-dimensional model of the scanning rod and the scanning data of the scanning rod by matching the standard three-dimensional model of the scanning rod with the scanning data of the scanning rod; and determine fitting data for a portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod based on the conversion relationship and the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or abutment.

[0055] In some embodiments, the data generation unit may also be configured to load the standard three-dimensional model of the scanning rod and the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or abutment into the same coordinate system, wherein the standard three-dimensional model of the scanning rod and the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or abutment are in a fixed state.

[0056] In some embodiments, the data generation unit may also be configured to: transform the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or abutment to the coordinate system where the scanning data of the scanning rod is located based on the transformation relationship; and determine the fitting data based on the three-dimensional data in the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or abutment that is in contact with the scanning rod.

[0057] The oral cavity data determination unit 640 can be configured to: determine complete dental arch data by fusing first dental arch data and second dental arch data; and determine overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the complete dental arch data and the scanning rod data.

[0058] It should be noted that further actions or steps as shown in Figure 3 can be implemented using the device 600 shown in Figure 6. For example, device 600 may include more modules or units to implement the actions or steps described above, or some of the units or modules shown in Figure 6 may be further configured to implement the actions or steps described above. This will not be repeated here.

[0059] Figure 7 shows a schematic block diagram of an example device 700 that can be used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, device 700 includes a computing unit 701, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to computer program instructions stored in read-only memory (ROM) 702 or loaded from storage unit 706 into random access memory (RAM) 703. Various programs and data required for the operation of device 700 may also be stored in RAM 703. The computing unit 701, ROM 702, and RAM 703 are interconnected via bus 704. Input / output (I / O) interface 705 is also connected to bus 704.

[0060] Multiple components in device 700 are connected to I / O interface 705, including: input unit 706, such as keyboard, mouse, etc.; output unit 707, such as various types of monitors, speakers, etc.; storage unit 708, such as disk, optical disk, etc.; and communication unit 709, such as network card, modem, wireless transceiver, etc. Communication unit 709 allows device 700 to exchange information / data with other devices through computer networks such as the Internet and / or various telecommunications networks.

[0061] The computing unit 701 can be a variety of general-purpose and / or special-purpose processing components with processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of the computing unit 701 include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), various special-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips, various computing units running machine learning model algorithms, a digital signal processor (DSP), and any suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. The computing unit 701 performs the various methods and processes described above, such as method 300. For example, in some embodiments, method 300 may be implemented as a computer software program tangibly contained in a machine-readable medium, such as storage unit 708. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program may be loaded and / or installed on device 700 via ROM 702 and / or communication unit 709. When the computer program is loaded into RAM 703 and executed by the computing unit 701, one or more steps of method 300 described above may be performed. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the computing unit 701 may be configured to perform method 300 by any other suitable means (e.g., by means of firmware).

[0062] In some embodiments, the methods and processes described above can be implemented as a computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions loaded thereon for performing various aspects of this disclosure.

[0063] Computer-readable storage media can be tangible devices capable of holding and storing instructions for use by an instruction execution device. Computer-readable storage media can be, for example—but not limited to—electrical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, optical storage devices, electromagnetic storage devices, semiconductor storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media include: portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multifunction disc (DVD), memory sticks, floppy disks, mechanical encoding devices, such as punch cards or recessed protrusions storing instructions thereon, and any suitable combination thereof. The computer-readable storage media used herein are not to be construed as transient signals themselves, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses through fiber optic cables), or electrical signals transmitted through wires.

[0064] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from computer-readable storage media to various computing / processing devices, or downloaded via a network, such as the Internet, local area network, wide area network, and / or wireless network, to an external computer or external storage device. The network may include copper cables, fiber optic cables, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards them to computer-readable storage media within the respective computing / processing device.

[0065] Computer program instructions used to perform the operations of this disclosure may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, status setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​and conventional procedural programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may execute entirely on a user's computer, partially on a user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on a user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network—including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)—or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry, such as programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs), is personalized by utilizing the status information of the computer-readable program instructions to implement various aspects of this disclosure.

[0066] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processing unit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine such that, when executed by the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, they create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that causes a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to operate in a particular manner. Thus, the computer-readable medium storing the instructions comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions for implementing aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0067] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby causing the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to perform the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0068] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of devices, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of an instruction containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than those shown in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0069] The following lists some example implementations of this disclosure.

[0070] In a first aspect, this disclosure provides an oral cavity scanning method, comprising: acquiring oral cavity scanning data by scanning an oral cavity equipped with a scanning rod, the scanning rod being fixed to an implant or abutment and obscuring a portion of the dental arch; determining, through automated identification, dental arch data and scanning rod data in the oral cavity scanning data; determining, based on the quality level of the dental arch data, whether a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is required; and, in response to determining that a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is not required, determining overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the dental arch data and the scanning rod data.

[0071] In some implementations, the scanning bar has a tapered structure, with the end of the scanning bar closer to the implant or abutment being smaller than the other end farther from the implant or abutment.

[0072] In some implementations, determining the dental arch data and scan bar data in the oral cavity scan data includes: identifying the dental arch data and scan bar data in the oral cavity scan data by using a trained deep neural network.

[0073] In some implementations, the trained deep neural network is obtained by: collecting three-dimensional point cloud data of the oral cavity, including a scanning rod, the three-dimensional point cloud data having labeled category information indicating the classification of the point cloud in the three-dimensional point cloud data, the classification including a scanning rod or a dental arch; normalizing and enhancing the three-dimensional point cloud data; and training the deep neural network using the normalized and enhanced three-dimensional point cloud data to obtain the trained deep neural network.

[0074] In some implementations, determining the dental arch data and scan bar data in the oral cavity scan data includes: identifying data representing the dental arch and data representing the scan bar in the oral cavity scan data; and determining the dental arch data and the scan bar data by separating the data representing the dental arch and the data representing the scan bar.

[0075] In some implementations, the dental arch data is first dental arch data, and the method further includes generating second dental arch data, the second dental arch data including data of the occluded partial region, wherein determining the overall spatial information of the oral cavity includes determining the overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the first dental arch data, the second dental arch data, and the scanning rod data.

[0076] In some implementations, generating the second dental arch data includes: determining fitted data of the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod based on the shape of the scanning rod; and stitching the fitted data to the dental arch to generate the second dental arch data.

[0077] In some implementations, determining the fitting data for the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod includes: acquiring a standard 3D model of the scanning rod and a standard 3D model of the implant or abutment; determining a conversion relationship between the standard 3D model of the scanning rod and the scanning data of the scanning rod by matching the standard 3D model of the scanning rod with the scanning data of the scanning rod; and determining the fitting data for the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod based on the conversion relationship and the standard 3D model of the implant or abutment.

[0078] In some implementations, the method further includes loading a standard three-dimensional model of the scanning rod and a standard three-dimensional model of the implant or the abutment into the same coordinate system, wherein the standard three-dimensional model of the scanning rod and the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or the abutment are in a fixed state.

[0079] In some implementations, determining the fitting data for the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning bar includes: transforming the standard 3D model of the implant or abutment to the coordinate system of the scanning data of the scanning bar based on the transformation relationship; and determining the fitting data based on the 3D data of the standard 3D model of the implant or abutment that is in contact with the scanning bar.

[0080] In some implementations, determining the overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the first dental arch data, the second dental arch data, and the scanning rod data includes: determining complete dental arch data by fusing the first dental arch data and the second dental arch data; and determining the overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the complete dental arch data and the scanning rod data.

[0081] In some implementations, the method is performed by a computing device locally connected to the intraoral scanner.

[0082] In a second aspect, this disclosure provides a computing device, comprising: a processing unit; and a memory coupled to the processing unit and containing instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, causing the device to perform the following actions: determining, by automatic identification, dental arch data and bar data in oral scan data; determining, based on the quality level of the dental arch data, whether a scan without a bar in the oral cavity is required; and, in response to determining that a scan without a bar in the oral cavity is not required, determining overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the dental arch data and the bar data.

[0083] In some implementations, the scanning bar has a tapered structure, with the end of the scanning bar closer to the implant or abutment being smaller than the other end farther from the implant or abutment.

[0084] In some implementations, determining the dental arch data and scan bar data in the oral cavity scan data includes: identifying data representing the dental arch and data representing the scan bar in the oral cavity scan data; and determining the dental arch data and the scan bar data by separating the data representing the dental arch and the data representing the scan bar.

[0085] In some implementations, the dental arch data is first dental arch data, and the action further includes: generating second dental arch data, the second dental arch data including data of the occluded partial area, wherein determining the overall spatial information of the oral cavity includes: determining the overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the first dental arch data, the second dental arch data, and the scanning rod data.

[0086] In some implementations, generating the second dental arch data includes: determining fitted data of the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod based on the shape of the scanning rod; and stitching the fitted data to the dental arch to generate the second dental arch data.

[0087] In some implementations, determining the fitting data for the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod includes: acquiring a standard 3D model of the scanning rod and a standard 3D model of the implant or abutment; determining a conversion relationship between the standard 3D model of the scanning rod and the scanning data of the scanning rod by matching the standard 3D model of the scanning rod with the scanning data of the scanning rod; and determining the fitting data for the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod based on the conversion relationship and the standard 3D model of the implant or abutment.

[0088] In some implementations, the action further includes loading the standard three-dimensional model of the scanning rod and the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or the abutment into the same coordinate system, wherein the standard three-dimensional model of the scanning rod and the standard three-dimensional model of the implant are in a fixed state.

[0089] In some implementations, determining the fitting data for the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning bar includes: transforming the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or abutment to the coordinate system of the scanning data of the scanning bar based on the transformation relationship; and determining the fitting data based on the three-dimensional data in the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or abutment that is in contact with the scanning bar.

[0090] In some implementations, determining the overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the first dental arch data, the second dental arch data, and the scanning rod data includes: determining complete dental arch data by fusing the first dental arch data and the second dental arch data; and determining the overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the complete dental arch data and the scanning rod data.

[0091] In a third aspect, a computer program product is provided, which is tangibly stored in a computer storage medium and includes computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the following actions: acquiring oral cavity scan data by scanning an oral cavity with a scanning rod fixed to an implant or abutment and obscuring a portion of the dental arch; identifying dental arch data and scanning rod data in the oral cavity scan data through automated identification; determining, based on the quality level of the dental arch data, whether a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is required; and, in response to determining that a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is not required, determining overall spatial information of the oral cavity based on the dental arch data and the scanning rod data.

[0092] In a fourth aspect, this disclosure provides a computer-readable medium having stored thereon machine-executable instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform one or more implementations of the method of the first aspect described above.

[0093] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An oral cavity scanning method, comprising: Oral scan data is obtained by scanning the oral cavity equipped with a scanning rod, which is fixed to the implant or abutment and covers part of the dental arch. Through automated identification, the dental arch data and scanning rod data in the oral cavity scan data are determined; Based on the quality level of the dental arch data, determine whether an intraoral scan without a scanning bar is necessary. as well as In response to determining that a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is not required, the overall spatial information of the oral cavity is determined based on the dental arch data and the scanning rod data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The scanning bar has a tapered structure, and the dimension of the end of the scanning bar near the implant or the abutment is smaller than that of the other end away from the implant or the abutment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, Determining the dental arch data and scan bar data in the oral cavity scan data includes: The dental arch data and the scan bar data in the oral cavity scan data are identified by using a trained deep neural network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The trained deep neural network is obtained in the following way: Collect three-dimensional point cloud data of the oral cavity, including a scanning rod, wherein the three-dimensional point cloud data has labeled category information indicating the classification of the point cloud in the three-dimensional point cloud data, the classification including scanning rod or dental arch; The three-dimensional point cloud data is standardized and enhanced; as well as The trained deep neural network is obtained by training 3D point cloud data that has been normalized and enhanced.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the dental arch data and scanning rod data in the oral cavity scan data comprises: Identify the data representing the dental arch and the data representing the scanning rod in the oral cavity scan data; The dental arch data and the scanning rod data are determined by separating the data representing the dental arch and the data representing the scanning rod.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dental arch data is first dental arch data, and the method further comprises: Generating second dental arch data, which includes data of the occluded partial region, wherein determining the overall spatial information of the oral cavity includes: Based on the first dental arch data, the second dental arch data, and the scanning rod data, the overall spatial information of the oral cavity is determined.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, The generation of the second dental arch data includes: Based on the shape of the scanning rod, fitting data for the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod is determined; and The fitted data is then stitched together with the dental arch to generate the second dental arch data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The fitting data for determining the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod includes: Obtain a standard 3D model of the scanning rod and a standard 3D model of the implant or the abutment; By matching the standard 3D model of the scanning rod with the scanning data of the scanning rod, the conversion relationship between the standard 3D model of the scanning rod and the scanning data of the scanning rod is determined; and Based on the transformation relationship and the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or the abutment, the fitting data of the partial region of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod is determined.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: The standard 3D model of the scanning rod and the standard 3D model of the implant or the abutment are loaded into the same coordinate system, wherein the standard 3D model of the scanning rod and the standard 3D model of the implant or the abutment are in a fixed state.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein, The fitting data for determining the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod includes: Based on the aforementioned transformation relationship, the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or abutment is transformed to the coordinate system where the scanning data of the scanning rod resides; and The fitting data is determined based on the three-dimensional data of the implant or abutment in contact with the scanning rod in a standard three-dimensional model.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein, Based on the first dental arch data, the second dental arch data, and the scanning rod data, the overall spatial information of the oral cavity is determined as follows: By fusing the first dental arch data and the second dental arch data, complete dental arch data is determined; and Based on the complete dental arch data and the scanning rod data, the overall spatial information of the oral cavity is determined.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a computing device locally connected to an intraoral scanner.

13. A computing device, comprising: Processing unit; as well as A memory, coupled to the processing unit and containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the device to perform the following actions: Oral scan data is obtained by scanning the oral cavity equipped with a scanning rod, which is fixed to the implant or abutment and covers part of the dental arch. Through automated identification, the dental arch data and scanning rod data in the oral cavity scan data are determined; Based on the quality level of the dental arch data, determine whether an intraoral scan without a scanning bar is necessary. as well as In response to determining that a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is not required, the overall spatial information of the oral cavity is determined based on the dental arch data and the scanning rod data.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein, The scanning bar has a tapered structure, and the dimension of the end of the scanning bar near the implant or the abutment is smaller than that of the other end away from the implant or the abutment.

15. The computing device according to claim 13, determining the dental arch data and scanning rod data in the oral cavity scan data includes: Identify the data representing the dental arch and the data representing the scanning rod in the oral cavity scan data; The dental arch data and the scanning rod data are determined by separating the data representing the dental arch and the data representing the scanning rod.

16. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the dental arch data is first dental arch data, and the action further includes: Generating second dental arch data, which includes data of the occluded partial region, wherein determining the overall spatial information of the oral cavity includes: Based on the first dental arch data, the second dental arch data, and the scanning rod data, the overall spatial information of the oral cavity is determined.

17. The computing device of claim 13, wherein, The generation of the second dental arch data includes: Based on the shape of the scanning rod, fitting data for the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod is determined; and The fitted data is then stitched together with the dental arch to generate the second dental arch data.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein, The fitting data for determining the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod includes: Obtain the standard three-dimensional pattern of the scanning rod and the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or the abutment; By matching the standard 3D model of the scanning rod with the scanning data of the scanning rod, the conversion relationship between the standard 3D model of the scanning rod and the scanning data of the scanning rod is determined; and Based on the transformation relationship and the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or the abutment, the fitting data of the partial region of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod is determined.

19. The computing device of claim 17, further comprising: The standard 3D model of the scanning rod and the standard 3D model of the implant or the abutment are loaded into the same coordinate system, wherein the standard 3D model of the scanning rod and the standard 3D model of the implant are in a fixed state.

20. The computing device of claim 17, wherein, The fitting data for determining the portion of the dental arch obscured by the scanning rod includes: Based on the aforementioned transformation relationship, the standard three-dimensional model of the implant or the abutment is transformed to the coordinate system where the scanning data of the scanning rod is located; and The fitting data is determined based on the three-dimensional data of the implant or abutment in contact with the scanning rod in a standard three-dimensional model.

21. The computing device of claim 16, wherein, Based on the first dental arch data, the second dental arch data, and the scanning rod data, the overall spatial information of the oral cavity is determined as follows: By fusing the first dental arch data and the second dental arch data, complete dental arch data is determined; and Based on the complete dental arch data and the scanning rod data, the overall spatial information of the oral cavity is determined.

22. A computer program product, said computer program product being tangibly stored in a computer storage medium and including computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the following actions, said actions including: Oral scan data is obtained by scanning the oral cavity equipped with a scanning rod, which is fixed to the implant or abutment and covers part of the dental arch. Through automated identification, the dental arch data and scanning rod data in the oral cavity scan data are determined; Based on the quality level of the dental arch data, determine whether an intraoral scan without a scanning bar is necessary. as well as In response to determining that a scan without a scanning rod in the oral cavity is not required, the overall spatial information of the oral cavity is determined based on the dental arch data and the scanning rod data.

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